Apparatus for raising sunken vessels.



C. CHRISTIE.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED APR-1711MB.

Patented July 30, 1918.

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C. CHRlSTlE.

APPARATUS FOR RAISlNG SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED APR-17.19%.

1 ,274,004. Patented July 30, 1918.

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To all whom/it may concern:

Be'it known that I, Gian-Les 63mm, a citizen of Unit-ed States; and a resident of Fords,- in the county of Middiesexand State of New J ersey, have certain new and useful Improvements in Ap aratus for Raising Sunken Vessels, of-whic-h the following'is a'-sp'ecifieatio'r'1.

This invention relates to an apparatus of novelconstructiom -th at is" adapted to be submerged in proximity to the vessel to be raised, provided with foraittaching a number of grappling hooks to" said vessel. By my invention, these hooks may be accurately placed wherever desired, the entire operation of connecting the wreck to thehooks, being under the full control of the operator. The invention further comprises various other features of novelty all as more fully pointed out in the specification and appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical lon "tudinal section of a submarine boat, emb ying my inven tion;

Fig. 2, a plan thereof;

Fig. 3, a plan partly in section, of the hook-setting device;

Fig. 4, a section on line 4-4 Fig. 3;

Fig. 5, a section on line 55 Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6, a plan partly in section of one of the diving plates.

A submarine boat 1 is provided with propellers 2, at its bow and stern, as well as along its keel and deck, so that it may be propelled in all directions, and may thus be moved into proximity to the Wreck to be. raised. The boat is furnished with an air pipe 3, rudders 4, telephone wires 5, and various other equipment not necessary to be further specific In order to assist the diving movement of the boat, it is provided near each of its ends witha longitudinally tilt-able plate 6, extending across the same at a distance below its keel. Eaohplate is pivotally suspended from the boat by a pintle 7, that turns in a bearing 8 extending across the keel, the pintle en aging the knuckle of an open-work angufitr frame or hinge-leaf 9, to which plate 6 is secured. A screw spindle 1O tapped in a bearin 11 and adapted to bear against the rear end of plate 6, serves to limit or check its tilting movement.

When the boat dives, bow foremost, plates 6 will, owing to the forward water pressure,

a corresponding" upward dip from front tarsal,- and tlnis; assist in the diving hoist, mounted on an additional vessel, which is afloat, and does not formpart of the present invention. With the embodiment shown, four hook-operating devices project Paten't efl July- 30, 1918.

from each side of the vessel, each device being placed in proximity to a port hole 12, so that its operation may be readily observed. A drill 13, may also be fitted to the boat, by means of which the wreck may be punctured, for engagement with the hooks, Whenever it should notbe feasible to pass the latter into port holes or other holdfasts.

Each hook-operating device comprises a rectangular slid able frame A composed of a pairof side bars 14, 15, a rear end bar 16, and a front end bar 17. Bars 14, 15 pass through openings formed in the sides of vessel 1, said openings being provided with water tight packings 18. The rear end bar 16 has a screw eye 19 engaging a longitudinally disposed lag screw 20, the headed end 21 of which engages a socket 22, fastened to the inner side of vessed 1, so that by turning the screw -by means of a handle 23, frame 1 A may be slid outward or inward to any extent desired. One ofthe longitudinal bars I 14, 15 say the bar 15, is made hollow or tubular for the'reception of an axially rotatable shaft .24, the forward end of which extends a distance beyond bar 17, and is here bent at right angles to constitute a finger 25 that parallels bar 17 Shaft24, may be turned by means of a handle 26, so that finger 25 may be swung either toward on away from bar 17 To bars '14, 15 there is furthermore pivoted at 27, a pair of jaws 28, that are drawn together by a spring 29 and project beneath rod 17 a distance beyond,

finger 25. r

In operation, the grappling hook 30, suspended by a cable or chain 31 from the. hoist hereinabove referred to, is engaged by jaws 28, and rock shaft 24 is turned so as to throw finger 25 opposite to bar 17, and into throw finger 25 clear of hook 30, and screw is turned to retract frame A, and thus cause jaws 28 as Well as. bar 17 to likewise clear the hook. After all the hooks have thus been entirely disconnected from their frames, the Winches are operated to raise the Wreck.

I Wish it to be understood that the submarine boat 1, may be replaced by a divers bell or similar submergible casing.

I claimz. k a,

l. A device of the character described,

comprising a. submergible casing, a slidable frame carried thereby, and a finger rotatably secured to said frame.

.2. A device of the character described, comprising a submergible casing, a slidable frame carried thereby, a finger rotatably mounted on the frame, and a pair of jaws pivoted to the frame.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a submergible casing, a slidable frame carried thereby, said frame being composed of a: pair of side bars, a front bar, and a rear bar, one of the side bars being hollow, a rock shaft housed Within said hollow side bar, a finger carried by the rock shaft, a pair of .jiLWSPlVOtGCl to the side bars, and a lag screw threaded to the rear bar.

CHARLES CHRISTIE.

Copies of this patent niay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. 0.. 

